About the Project

wow that's a lot of stars is an original sci-fi setting inspiring games, stories, music, and more. It's based on and used with the Stars Without Number Revised Edition TTRPG by Kevin Crawford and builds upon concepts from the rulebook.
This page covers more information on why this site exists, and what to expect from reading its contents. You can also read about the setting.

Let's Tell a Story

I've spent my life imagining incredible tales of people and places that will never exist, but I didn't want to just tell them. I wanted to live them. More than that, I wanted to bring my friends along with me. It turns out, it's easy to convince someone to tell stories with you when there are clacky math rocks involved.
I started my first campaign in 2020, after only a few months of building what would later become the Talos Sector - a setting about the universal struggle of reconnecting after growing apart. With spaceships.

The Setting

After a galactic catastrophe lead to centuries of isolation, a handful of human-populated planets have managed to reconnect. Now their alliance is straining under the weight of diverged cultures and incompatible priorities.
Every habited planet in the Talos Sector covers different aspects of sci-fi sub-genres, allowing each campaign to have its own, more specific themes and adventures. Details of the setting get filled in as needed to best support the stories we want to tell.

The Joining by Annie Stein

Genre

Grounded Sci-Fi

Despite the fictional technology, this setting feels plausible based on what we know of our current reality.

Soft Sci-Fi

The effects technology has on people and cultures take more focus than scientific explanations of that tech.

Tone

Talos deals in grey morality and difficult choices, with an undertone of hope.
It's not always clear who is a villain or what the right answer is, but there are always those trying to make the galaxy a better place. Despite tragedy and strife, things will be okay.

The Experience

by Annie Stein

I made this setting to combat feeling powerless in the face of awful real-world events. Here, I want to empower reader and player to take action and stand up for what they believe in. This is a future in motion. Someone is always up to something, and anything could change if the right person intervenes.
Some articles and plots deal with heavier topics like loss, classism, and xenophobia. However, this setting is also built for fun and escapism, and certain concepts like racism, sexism, and queerphobia are absent entirely.

As a Reader

Readers can start at (nearly) any article and follow along with no additional context. Places like the Visitor's Guide and Identify Yourself give suggestions based on areas of interest.

As a Player

This is a collaborative work, and players have nearly as much say in the plot and setting as I do. Their input, goals, and decisions influence ongoing and future stories.

Atticus de León by AsnnnArt

Jorie Grey by AsnnnArt

Bry by AsnnnArt

Trey by AsnnnArt

Timeline

2019

Worldbuilding starts.

2020

Campaign 1 starts.

2021

Campaign 1 ends.
Campaign 2 begins.

2023

wow that's a lot of stars created and reaches 50 followers.
Campaign 2 ends.

2024

wow that's a lot of stars reaches 100 followers and is nominated for Most Beautiful World.
Five-episode audio mini-series released.
Mini-campaign 1 begins and ends.

2025

wow that's a lot of stars nominated for Best World.

Accolades Future Plans

About the Author

I'm a queer storyteller living in the US northeast. In addition to running tabletop games, I also write novels, flash fiction, and everything in between.
My biggest fan and collaborator is my husband, who is the musician behind Talos' theme song.
My biggest critic is our cat, Coco the One-Toothed Wonder, who thinks I should only pay attention to her.

by Rin Garnett